Barter
by Gracie
Summary: Naxe of the Aeniu is brought aboard Voyager as part of a trade agreement, to learn all she can about the people living there.


TITLE: Barter  
  
AUTHOR: Gracie Kay  
  
ITALICS: Aw, not again . . . you figure it out. : )  
  
DISCLAIMER: The Voyager folks don't belong to me, but Naxe and her people are my creations. Neither the Aeniu nor the Jai'k Ish have ever appeared on the show.   
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm asking for lots of help here, everybody . . . this is still really rough and I'm not sure what I think of it. I knew I wanted to do an "outsider" Voyager story, but I'd like your input--and please, if you're going to say "Nice job" or "That was stupid," just don't bother. I need details. What have I done well? What do I need to fix? (And if anybody has a better title, I'm open to suggestions--I know one-word titles are to be used sparingly, but I couldn't think of a thing.) Also, the BIG question--does this need (or even deserve) a sequel? I definitely leave the ending open, so what do you all think? Would you like to know what happens next? Hope to get lotsa *real* reviews on this one. : )  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The trade request surprised her more than a little.  
  
"We're a different kind of explorer, Captain," the Aeniu representative explained. "We find it fascinating to investigate other people's customs, and aliens from so far away as you are especially interesting. But we don't 'search out new life,' as you do--we trade with those who come to our world, and learn along the way. In fact, I don't believe we've ever bartered with such wanderers before. We would be honored if you would share your pearls with us."  
  
Captain Janeway frowned. "Pearls?" she repeated, wondering if the universal translator had made an error.   
  
"Yes--that is what we call the special pieces of information we learn. Each new custom we discover from peoples such as you are treasures. Will you share with us?"  
  
She considered the idea. "What exactly are you asking for, Ambassador?"  
  
"We make the humble request of each of our prospective trading partners--that as payment for what you would like from us, one of our people be allowed to stay on board your ship for three days. This Learner would be allowed to question your crew and acquire as much knowledge as possible during the stay."  
  
Janeway glanced at Chakotay, who sat on her right at the long table in the briefing room, but could read little on his impassive face. "You know of our directive that forbids us to trade in certain technologies. This-- 'Learner'--would only be granted limited access to the ship and *no* access to the computers."  
  
"That is acceptable to us," the alien nodded enthusiastically. "We understand that you must be excessively cautious this far from your home, Captain. The Learner would be more interested in your customs than your technology. For what is technology, truly, but a reservoir of methods to wage wars? The valuable things in life are personalities, individual accomplishments, and memories. Do you not agree?"  
  
Did she? "I suppose I see your point," and the alien seemed satisfied with that. "However, before agreeing to this I would like to discuss it with my officers. You understand."  
  
"Perfectly, perfectly!" nodded the tall man. "I will go back to my ship by way of that intriguing 'transporter' device, and you may inform me of your decision within the next three hours."  
  
Janeway nodded. "Mr. Tuvok, please escort our guest to Transporter Room One."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It seems like a harmless enough idea," Tom Paris put in. The entire senior staff was now assembled in the briefing room, with the captain at the head of the table, listening carefully to her crew's discussion. Often she said the fewest words in these sessions, but she always paid close attention to each officer's opinion; and the final decision, of course, always belonged to her.  
  
"It would be interesting to have a guest on Voyager for a few days," Neelix agreed. "And what could possibly happen?"  
  
"Many things could happen, Mr. Neelix," Tuvok answered. Janeway wondered how her security chief could put so much displeasure into his voice with so little inflection. "It is an unusual request, and it should be carefully considered before it is agreed on."  
  
"If this person is really more interested in our life histories than our technology, that's one thing," B'Elanna Torres said. "But I don't want someone probing around engineering, asking me every little thing about the warp core."  
  
"Agreed," Chakotay spoke up. Janeway turned her eyes to his, since during a conference he usually addressed her no matter whose comment he was responding to. "If this 'Learner' begins to ask us questions that we aren't comfortable answering--about our technology, since theirs is far inferior--will we have the option of backing out of the deal? Couldn't we send him back?"  
  
Janeway lifted her eyebrows in a kind of shrug. "I don't see why not. Part of the agreement is that this person will not attempt to find out more about our technology, and if he doesn't uphold his end of the bargain . . . it certainly seems that ethically, we could call the whole thing off."  
  
The discussion continued for awhile, but there were no serious concerns as long as the visitor was closely watched and not given access to a replicator in his quarters (something Tuvok insisted upon for security measures). Finally, Janeway stood up.   
  
"I think we're all in agreement here. Considering that we need what the Aeniu have to offer, the inconvenience of having to answer questions for a few days is acceptable."  
  
"Whoever this person is, he'd just better not get too personal," B'Elanna mumbled under her breath.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Naxe, you've been chosen!"  
  
Naxe's dark red eyes looked up from the page she was reading. "Chosen? As a Learner? At last?"  
  
"Yes!" came her friend Zhen's buoyant voice. "And you will never imagine what ship they have assigned you to."  
  
"No, probably not," Naxe chuckled.   
  
"The biggest one! The one that we heard all about when Porqa returned from attending the Ambassador. He never got to board the ship, but he told us about the outside of it."  
  
"The silver one with the blue lights?"  
  
"You're going to board it! You get to meet its inhabitants!"  
  
"I wonder . . . what its Supreme Officer is like? Is he angrily loud, like many Supreme Officers from our ships?"  
  
"Perhaps," Zhen twitched her nose in a shrug. "But you will most likely never meet him, anyway. After all, he is Supreme Officer--he will not have time for a Learner, you know."  
  
"I imagine not." But she thought it would be more incredible than anything else in the cosmos to meet a Supreme Officer. "What do you think the people will look like?"  
  
"You will have to draw one of them for me."  
  
"I'll try. If they are very alien-looking, it might be difficult to capture one."  
  
"Oh, I wish I could go along," Zhen moaned, the red of her eyes brightening in her excitement. "This will be the most amazing event of your life!"  
  
The next few hours were filled with chatter between Naxe and Zhen, packing clothes to take to the ship, and pouring over the small amount of information provided by the ship so that she would be somewhat familiar with command structure when she arrived. The ship was called Voyager, and Zhen drilled her on the correct titles for the officers, in order from the most menial to the title of the Supreme Officer himself. Purposely Naxe asked for no names, because she thought it would be more exciting to learn the individuals as she met them. In addition, she was afraid of seeing an  
alien name and getting used to the improper pronunciation.   
  
"Okay, time for a quiz," Zhen announced, and Naxe realized that they truly were behaving like juveniles. She had to suppress some of her excitement before she boarded the ship, or they would think her immature and inane. But for now . . . she indulged in the thrill.   
  
"I am ready; quiz me."  
  
"Officers, in order. Go!"  
  
"Okay, um . . ." she paused to think. "Crewman, lieutenant--"  
  
"Wrong! Ensign comes first, then lieutenant."  
  
"Crewman, ensign, lieutenant, lieutenant commander, commander, captain."  
  
"That was perfect, Naxe. I think you have it memorized."  
  
"Thanks," Naxe said dryly, then continued with the information she knew about the command structure of the Voyager. "There are many crewmen and ensigns, fewer lieutenants . . . the lieutenant commander is also chief of security . . . the commander is in charge of everyone and   
reports to the captain . . . and there is only one captain, and he controls the entire ship. Everybody on it does what he says, just because he says it."  
  
Zhen chuckled. "Those weren't the words on the data screen we received, but I guess that's about what they mean."  
  
"That's an interesting word, you know. Captain. It's less pompous than Supreme Officer, don't you think?"  
  
"I think you're obsessed with meeting an alien Supreme Officer, that's what I think. I find it fascinating that this ship is from a group of planets . . .what's it called, the 'Federation'? . . . where all different races have come together. That means you'll be meeting many different races of aliens, not just one."  
  
They talked some more about the upcoming experience, but soon it was time for Naxe to say goodbye.   
  
"I'll tell you all about everything when I get back."  
  
"Don't forget a word they say."  
  
"I won't. Farewell and fortune, Zhen."  
  
"Farewell and fortune," her friend said with a cheerful salute. "I'll see you in three days."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A voice from the speaker, a voice Naxe knew was from Voyager, said, "We'll beam Learner Naxe aboard immediately."  
  
Her eyes fluttered to the Ambassador's with alarm as she stood waiting to board the ship where she would spend the next three days of her life. "What do they mean, 'beam'?"  
  
He frowned, his pale cheeks flushing purple with embarrassment, and Naxe realized that the Voyager person could hear her words. "They have an incredible device which allows them to move an individual great distances--almost instantly. I have experienced it for myself, Learner Naxe--it is quite harmless."  
  
His nostrils constricted in the body language of the Aeniu, language which Naxe clearly understood: no more questions! Her race was not a telepathic one, but Naxe could imagine his thoughts: *Do you want them to think us timid, primitive? Go along with it!*  
  
She knew even from her limited interaction with aliens that her race was indeed both timid and primitive. However, this was hardly the time to bring that up. She stood a little taller and rotated her wrist in the affirmative, in assent.  
  
The next thing she knew, she was standing on a platform and nearly fell, and a voice spoke from in front of her, to the right.   
  
"Welcome to Voyager, Learner Naxe. I am Lieutenant Commander Tuvok. Do not be alarmed at the transporter's after-effects; many people do find it disorienting."  
  
She turned and found the source of the voice. The person before her was male and looked to be about her height. She stepped off the platform, eyes glued to the alien face before her.   
  
"Thank-you, sir," she said smoothly, although her voice was hardly as smooth as his. "I'm fine now."  
  
He nodded his head once in a gesture that must have been acknowledgement. It was a motion as reserved as the deep monotone of his voice. Naxe found him incredibly intriguing. "I will show you to your quarters, and then you may choose to have a meal in the mess hall. It is nearly time for the midday meal, and you will find many of the crew there to speak with."  
  
Out of habit, Naxe raised her arm halfway and rotated the wrist, then remembered with a purple flush that he wouldn't understand. Instead, she imitated his head movement and followed him--out of the room and down several corridors.   
  
The room was more spacious than she had expected, with a bed, an easy chair, and a desk with a computer. Naxe was informed that this computer would allow her access to many informative files during the times she was not personally interviewing the crew. But she didn't want to spend too much time in her quarters; she wanted to meet these unusual people.   
  
The dark alien called Tuvok escorted her to the eating room--"mess hall," he had called it--and she found herself covertly studying him from the edges of her eyes as she walked beside him. If his facial features were any indication of the rest of the crew . . . he looked quite strange, she admitted to herself. He was extremely dark-skinned, and his face was flat across, lacking any plating. It gave his dark eyes, which had round pupils instead of vertical ones like the Aeniu, a buggy appearance. Naxe thought his eyes must be easily injured, as they were located on almost the same plane with his facial bones. His ears were larger than her own, and less pointed at the tips. But his nose and lips closely resembled hers, even without the nose plates.   
"What are you?" she found herself asking at last.   
  
"What do you mean?" he questioned back.  
  
"What is your race called?"  
  
He raised his black eyebrows slightly. "I am Vulcan."  
  
"Do all Vulcans look like you? The same basic facial structure?"  
  
"Yes," he answered; then he changed the subject. "This is the mess hall." The door slid away almost silently as they approached it, and Naxe looked around. The room was quite full, indeed.  
  
"You may approach crewmembers at your own discretion," he said in that same monotone, and she wanted to ask if all the crew would be as uninterested in conversation as he was. If so, this would be a very dull three days.   
  
"Thanks to you," she offered politely, and he nodded his head again, then left the room.   
  
Naxe suddenly felt shy. How could she approach these aliens and ask about their lives? How did a learner master the talent of nonchalance? Well, she would just have to learn. She knew that by her own culture's standards for learners, she was expected to simply step forward and begin discussion. She decided to try it, and chose a table with only three people seated there. If she was an accurate judge of gender among these people, she was approaching two males and a female. They were already engaged in rapid conversation, and Naxe thought perhaps Tuvok was simply less talkative than the rest of this crew.   
  
"You wagered holodeck hours on *that*? What were you thinking, Harry?"  
  
"Hey, don't knock the guy--I appreciated his gesture."  
  
"Yeah, since Tom *got* all my holodeck hours for three days--oh, hi. Are you the Aeniu learner?"  
  
She smiled and brightened the red in her eyes. "That is accurate. I am Naxe. May I sit here?"  
  
"Sure thing," said the brown-haired male. Naxe noticed immediately that all three of them had complexions closer to her own, but with a pinkish base rather than purple. In fact, the complexion base of the female was closer to brown. This made her stand out slightly from her  
companions, in addition to the three faint ridges on her forehead.   
  
The brown-haired man was speaking. "Welcome to Voyager, Naxe. I'm Tom Paris, but my friends just call me Tom."  
  
The black-haired male with slightly slanted eyes smiled at her. "Harry Kim. It's a pleasure."  
  
Naxe recalled the gesture of positive acknowledgement and nodded her head up and down, as the female spoke up. "B'Elanna Torres. It's nice to meet you." Somehow her voice was less warm than the others', but Naxe didn't dwell on that.  
  
"So, what exactly are you here to learn, Naxe?" Tom Paris asked amiably. Naxe was surprised; often alien ships resented the presence of a Learner.   
  
"I want to know about the structure of your Federation, of course, but also about your individual races' cultures. My people are fascinated by other worlds, though we are not really a space-faring society; at least not extensively. I would like to learn all about the foods you eat, the gestures and greetings you employ, what you do for recreation . . . that sort of thing."  
  
She smiled, glad that gesture had not changed, and brought out her data processor to record their words. "But first things first. I've memorized the titles of your officers on this ship, and I'm curious what title each of you holds."  
  
Harry Kim smiled. "Well, we're ensigns, and B'Elanna's a lieutenant."  
  
Naxe's pupils dilated with surprise. "You mean . . . females on this ship are allowed to outrank males?" She had expected Torres to be a crewman.   
  
"Why, sure," Tom Paris chuckled, and she realized that she had amused him by her ignorance. "Our captain's a woman."  
  
Naxe's eyes widened. "Your--your Supreme Officer?"  
  
"You didn't know that?" Harry said with surprise. "You haven't met her yet?"  
  
Naxe stared at him. "No. I never expected to meet the Supreme Officer of the ship; he--she--must have much more important priorities than meeting a Learner."  
  
"Well, one thing you'll have to learn about this ship is that no one is unimportant, Naxe," Tom informed her. "The captain doesn't shut herself away somewhere; she interacts with her crew all the time. I assume things are different on your world?"  
  
"A Supreme Officer would never mingle with lower crewmembers," Naxe said stoutly. "And when he does enter the room, all are expected to bow at the waist in submission."  
  
"Captain Janeway's not a queen," B'Elanna Torres spoke up with not a little irritation. "She's just a captain."  
  
"But she commands your entire ship. On my world, that feat requires extra reverence; it is not easily accomplished."  
  
"It isn't easily accomplished in the Federation, either," Tom hastened to explain. "In fact, I've known some fine officers who never got their own ships. But not even captains require their  
crew to bow."  
  
This was incredible. As Naxe entered the data into her processor and decided what question to ask next, Tom Paris spoke up. "Are you hungry, Naxe? Would you like to try some of our food?"  
  
"Certainly."  
  
"Ooh, she's feeling daring," Harry quipped, and Tom waved over a short little alien--several inches shorter than Naxe, although she realized that she was a bit taller than B'Elanna as well--to their table.   
  
"Good afternoon," came the cheerful voice of the little man. "What can I do for our guest today?"  
  
"She wants something edible," B'Elanna spoke up with a mischievous smile.   
  
"I won't be offended by that remark, Lieutenant," came the response, and Naxe realized he really wasn't. "I'm Neelix, by the way. And it's a pleasure to cook for a visitor; maybe you'll have a better appreciation for my food than these folks sometimes do."  
  
"What is your rank?" Naxe asked him.   
  
"Oh, I don't have one. I'm a sort of hitchhiker, I guess you could call it; Captain Janeway gave me a home and a responsibility. I'm morale officer and cook around here. But I'm a Delta Quadrant native like yourself. I'm Talaxian."  
  
Naxe hadn't heard of his race, but she didn't mention that fact. "How fascinating." But what she found even more fascinating was that this captain allowed "hitchhikers" on her ship.   
  
"Now, what shall we serve our guest, Mr. Paris?" Neelix asked.   
  
"How about pizza?" Tom suggested with a wink in B'Elanna's direction.   
  
"Tom, I don't think that's the best choice," she replied, and Naxe felt a moment of foreboding but ignored it.   
  
"Whatever 'pizza' is, it sounds interesting. I'd like to try it."  
  
"Coming right up," beamed Neelix. "Um, how many toppings?"  
  
"'Toppings?'" Naxe repeated dubiously.   
  
"Just make her what you make me, Neelix," Tom said with a dismissing wave of his hand.   
  
"Your people aren't vegetarian, are they, Naxe?" Harry Kim asked with concern, and Naxe twitched her nose in a shrug.   
  
"No, we are not. However, if Ensign Paris is, I have no problem with vegetarian meals."  
  
Tom laughed at that, and Naxe assumed that he was not an herbivore either.   
  
"I'd better get back to engineering," B'Elanna said abruptly, and Naxe watched her leave.  
  
"You have to excuse her, Naxe," Harry hastened. "Lieutenant Torres isn't the friendliest member of the crew."  
  
"I nearly forgot to ask you, what are your races? You and Ensign Paris seem to be the same, but I noticed Lieutenant Torres's forehead ridges."  
  
The conversation continued and Naxe learned much from these two individuals, who were more than willing to impart information. She found that the pizza had a rather exotic taste that   
took some getting used to, but it was actually quite enjoyable. In addition, she found that she was enjoying the company of these aliens. She hardly noticed when the doors of the mess hall slid open and someone entered, until her two companions stood to their feet. She looked up to see a small human woman standing next to the table. The woman lifted her hands slightly.  
  
"At ease, gentlemen. Is this seat taken?"  
  
"No, ma'am," Tom Paris said with a smile, but both he and Harry seemed suddenly more formal as they sat back down.   
  
The woman's disconcertingly blue eyes turned to Naxe as she sat where B'Elanna had been. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Learner Naxe. I'm Captain Janeway. I hope you're enjoying your stay."  
  
Naxe's breath caught in her throat, and her face surged purple with excitement. This was the Supreme Officer of the ship! She suddenly felt her vocal cords paralyzed with nervousness,  
and she stammered. "Oh, y-yes, Captain. Your crew has been most helpful."  
  
The alien named Neelix was hurrying over to the table. "Captain! What can I get for you?"  
  
"Oh, nothing for me, Neelix. I'm just here to speak with the Learner."  
  
"Now, you know you can't enter my mess hall without ordering *something*, Captain. What would happen to my reputation?"  
  
She smiled, a nice smile though it didn't show her teeth. "All right, then, if you insist, you  
can bring me some coffee."  
  
He didn't try to hide his delight at serving his captain, whatever "coffee" might be. "Coming right up!"  
  
Naxe noticed that Captain Janeway allowed Neelix to speak of the mess hall as "his" and decided that things must be very different on this ship. A Supreme Officer on her world would have corrected the chef--a menial position at best--that nothing on the ship belonged to him, not even the kitchen. But there seemed to be a vast difference between Captain Janeway and the Aeniu Supreme Officers.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A little later, Naxe was walking the corridors with Ensign Kim, on a tour of the ship. She could hardly contain her fascination. She greeted crewmembers they passed and smiled at all the right times so that everyone would think she was the perfect Learner: nonchalant, experienced with this job, unaffected by the thrill of the unknown.   
  
Nothing could have been further from the truth. Her hearts were hammering with excitement as she learned all about these strange but delightful people.   
  
"Ensign Kim."  
  
Naxe looked up at the feminine but cold voice, into the eyes of a female about her height. The woman looked human, but there were metallic structures over one of her eyes and on the side of her face, and one of her hands was encased in metal as well. What was she? An artificial life-form? Naxe had never seen anything like her.   
  
"Oh, hi, Seven," Harry said, as though talking to a robot was second nature. Maybe on this ship, robots were allowed free roaming privileges, but this was the first one Naxe had seen. And her name, "Seven"--it wasn't even a name, it was a number!   
  
"I require your assistance in astrometrics," the woman/robot said, not even acknowledging Naxe.   
  
"Well, I'd love to help you out, Seven, but right now I'm giving our guest a tour of the ship. Once we're finished, I'll meet you there."  
  
"How long will this--tour--take to complete?"  
  
"Oh, another hour at the most. Relax; we've got all day."  
  
"Seven" studied him a moment, then nodded. "Very well." She walked off down the corridor at a brisk pace, and Naxe stared at her tight blue suit. Maybe it wasn't even a suit . . . maybe it was part of her machine-like body.   
  
"What is she?" Naxe asked in a low voice, still in shock over what she had seen.   
  
"Um, her name's Seven of Nine. She's a human, but, um--"  
  
"Ensign Kim, I don't mean to contradict you, but she is certainly not like any human I have encountered on Voyager. She seems to be a robot of some sort."  
  
"Well, she used to be Borg."  
  
Naxe felt all the breath leave her body in a whoosh. Even her "primitive" species knew of the Borg. *Used* to be Borg? There was no such thing. Once an individual had become "assimilated," as the Borg called their dismembering and torturing and automating, there was no going back.   
  
"You have a Borg on your ship? She has access to your astrometrics lab?"  
  
"She has access to the whole ship--as much access as I have, or Ensign Paris has. She's not linked to the Collective anymore, Naxe. She's learning how to become an individual again. Her thoughts are her own, just like your thoughts and mine. She's actually not a bad person, once you get to know her."  
  
Naxe didn't speak for a long time as they continued walking down the corridor. She was remembering the dictums of diplomacy when learning another's culture, and finding them very difficult to abide by. "Ensign Kim, I will respect your choice to attempt to--rehabilitate, as it were--a Borg. However, I must say that this would never be allowed on my world."  
  
He gave her a sharp glance. "I see. But remember, Naxe--all Borg drones were once individuals themselves. They were victims, just like the ones they now victimize. If the Borg assimilated you, would you not want to be rescued from the life of an automaton?"  
  
"I would no longer be in control of my own wants and desires. I doubt that any drone *wants* to be 'rescued.' But if I could be given a moment of consciousness to determine my own fate, I would request that my friends not attempt to save me. They may be assimilated themselves, and I would not wish that to happen."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How did your tour go today, Ensign?"  
  
Harry stood in the ready room, and the captain sat at her desk, casually skimming a data PADD as she questioned him.   
  
"I suppose it went well," he said carefully. "Naxe was fascinated with the warp core, but she didn't ask any questions about it; it was like she sensed that it was forbidden territory. She asked me all about Earth--its climate, people, and especially where I grew up. I found myself telling her more about childhood in North Carolina than about Voyager's schematics."  
  
Janeway nodded to herself. "It would seem that everything is perfect," she murmured, then looked up at him. "So why don't I feel 'perfect' about it all?"  
  
The question took him aback. He was always surprised when Janeway asked him a question like that one, as though she was subtly asking his advice. She didn't speak to him this way often, and he suspected she usually went to Tuvok or Chakotay when she wanted to talk something over. But for now, he was the only one in the room, and she was much less a captain and much more a friend whenever they were alone. It made him wonder how much she desired to be a friend *all* the time, to all her crew.   
  
He brought his mind back to her question. And he had no answer. "I--I really don't know, ma'am."  
  
She sighed and set the PADD on her desk. "Maybe I'm just so used to hidden agendas and keeping up our guard, I can't accept that there's actually a race without an interest in exploiting Voyager."  
  
"Maybe, ma'am." Was that the wrong thing to say?   
  
But she was chuckling. "Thank-you for your report, Ensign."  
  
She was about to dismiss him. "Um, Captain?"  
  
"Yes?" Her blue eyes looked up at him and he knew he had her full attention.   
  
"There was one small incident today--we met Seven of Nine in the corridor."  
  
He expected her to question him, but she just cocked an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.  
  
"Seven didn't even acknowledge her, of course, but Naxe was curious about her--she thought Seven was a 'robot.'"  
  
Janeway smiled a little at that.   
  
"When I told her she was Borg, she was . . . well, I don't know Aeniu body language that well, Captain, but she seemed very disturbed. She said that rehabilitating a drone would never be allowed on her world."  
  
Now the captain was nodding slowly. "That's unfortunate. Hopefully, Seven's presence won't color Naxe's view of us. But if it does . . . you are never expected to apologize for the truth,  
Ensign. And the truth is that if I could do it all over again, I would still save Seven."  
  
Harry grinned. He had hoped to hear something like that. "Thanks, Captain. I'm glad."  
  
She smiled back. "Dismissed."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Naxe's three days were up before she knew it. She eagerly anticipated the return to her own planet, so she could share what she knew with others who cared about her work the same way that she did. But the morning that she was to be "beamed down" to her home, before contact with Aeniu could be made, Naxe's people contacted Voyager.   
  
Captain Janeway summoned Naxe to the bridge, and she stepped onto it with a mixture of captivation and foreboding. She had been able to speak with the captain several times since her  
meeting in the mess hall and had found her hostess to be solemn, subdued, but very warm and welcoming. Janeway's voice over the communication system, however, had sounded less than warm and welcoming when she had asked for Naxe's presence on the bridge.   
  
Naxe's first thought was that she had committed a transgression of their rules. Perhaps she had pried too much, as she remembered the brief answers of some of the crewmembers; they had not all been as pleased to see her as Ensigns Paris and Kim. But when she stepped onto the bridge and Janeway turned to look at her, she did not see anger or condemnation in the alien blue eyes. She saw concern.  
  
"Your ambassador has informed us that your planet is under attack, Naxe."  
  
Naxe looked up at the huge viewscreen, where an Aeniu face frowned with fear and worry. "Learner Naxe, there is no way for us to bring you back home. At least not now. The Jai'k Ish are not going to give up easily. You are safer on Voyager."  
  
Naxe's hearts started to pound. She knew the name Jai'k Ish--they were known as technologically superior monsters that took pleasure in warring with helpless planets. They were much more savage than most aliens in the region, and they rarely listened to the voice of reason--much less heeded diplomacy.   
  
"Captain Janeway," the ambassador said firmly, "you must leave orbit and distance yourself from the planet. Your ship could be in danger."  
  
Janeway paused to consider him. "I would like to have a meeting with my senior officers,  
Ambassador. This is certainly an unexpected development."  
  
Then she *was* angry. Naxe could hardly blame her; three days was turning into possibly much longer. What Supreme Officer would tolerate an intruder on his ship for any longer than absolutely necessary? Naxe knew that some wouldn't tolerate outsiders at all. The Aeniu on the  
viewscreen said something to Janeway and then the two of them ended the connection. Naxe looked nervously at the Voyager captain but didn't know her well enough to read the expressions of her face.   
  
Janeway tapped the silver instrument on her chest. "All senior officers report to the briefing room immediately." She looked at the dark man seated next to her and sighed. "  
Well?"  
  
Naxe remembered that his name was Chakotay, though she wasn't sure she could pronounce it if she tried. He looked at the captain with dark alien eyes and sighed back. "This will take some discussion."  
  
She stood to her feet in one smooth motion, and he did the same. They were leaving the bridge. "I can already hear Tuvok's voice in my head," she murmured with something between affection and frustration. "You have the bridge, Mr. Paris."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Ambassador Phrel warned me about the Jai'k Ish," Janeway said to her officers, making eye contact with each of them around the table as she spoke. "Suffice it to say that the Aeniu are in trouble if the Jai'k Ish seriously decide to wipe them out . . . and it doesn't look good."  
  
"Captain," B'Elanna spoke up, "are we here because it's possible that we're going to  
defend the Aeniu?"  
  
"I do not need to remind you, Captain," Tuvok said immediately, "that doing so would be a violation of the Prime Directive."   
  
*No*, she thought, *you do not need to remind me. But you always do anyway.* "We have a trade agreement with the Aeniu," she said. "Normally that would not obligate us in any way--but this isn't a normal agreement. We have one of their people on our ship. We can't just keep her and leave orbit and pretend we never met them, no matter what the ambassador says."  
  
"We don't even know what their ships look like," Paris pointed out. "Who knows what we'll be up against? Naxe mentioned them briefly, and she did say that they are technologically superior to the Aeniu."  
  
"Not much of a feat," B'Elanna mentioned wryly.   
  
"We may not have to defend anyone," came Neelix's hopeful voice. "Maybe the Jai'k Ish will make a few demands on them and then leave them alone."  
  
"But if we do, we need to have a plan." Chakotay was always the voice of reason. "The captain's right--we can't just abandon them."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Naxe fretted in her quarters for an hour, wondering what was going to happen--to her, and to her world. She thought of her family and Zhen on the surface, wondered if the Jai'k Ish had fired on the planet yet. She was startled by a strange mechanical sound, then realized it was her door.   
  
"Um, you may enter," she said hesitantly, and the door slid away and Captain Janeway herself stepped into the room.   
  
Naxe was immediately nervous, not just because the Supreme Officer had entered, but because it had to be important news if Janeway herself was bringing it. She said nothing, waiting for Janeway to break the silence. It was still deeply ingrained in her to never speak to a superior unless spoken to first.   
  
"Naxe, I want you to know that Voyager will not abandon your people. We're going to do all we can to defend your planet."  
  
She just stared. She knew that this ship was a wonder, was superior to the Jai'k Ish ships as well as her own planet's technology. And this ship's commanding officer was offering its services? Such a gesture left her in awe and reverence. "Captain, you are not obligated to help  
us."  
  
"Maybe not by your standards," Janeway said softly. "But I have made it my obligation to help anyone in need whom I can assist. I won't just leave and take you with us. I know you miss your home, and I know that you are concerned about the welfare of your loved ones on the surface. And I understand, Naxe."  
  
Naxe nodded. She knew that Voyager was from a faraway place and had been given a few details on how they came to be here, so far from their own homeworld. "You empathize with what it is to miss a place, or a person."  
  
"I haven't seen my home for almost six years," the captain reminded her quietly. "My ship was  
brought here by an alien with incredible powers. For many of those years, the people on my world  
thought everyone on my ship had been killed."  
  
Naxe thought again of the Aeniu Supreme Officers, how Porqa complained when he was sent on a month-long mission, that it was so long. Six years! How had this Captain survived for six years, always on duty, never on furlough to see family and friends? Her respect for Captain Janeway inched up several more notches as she considered the information she already knew but had not really bothered to ponder.   
  
"Six years," Naxe said softly. "What a very long time, Captain."  
  
Janeway smiled sadly. "Yes, and I don't know how many more years it will take to reach my home. Even my ship, as powerful as it may seem to you, will take more than sixty years to reach my world--it is that far away."  
  
Naxe stared. This was new information to her. "I have read the data screens about your species, and though you live longer than we do . . ." She hesitated.   
  
"I probably won't live another sixty years," Janeway nodded. "So yes, I do know what it's like to miss those you love. I know what it's like to feel hopeless at times that I'll ever see them all again. But I'm not going to let you go through that, Naxe. Three days isn't so long, not really; and I'm going to make sure you are returned to your home as soon as possible."  
  
Naxe nodded. "Thank-you, Captain. You are not obligated, yet you succor us. We are all in your debt." On an impulse, she raised her hand and offered the captain the traditional spread-fingered salute of her species. Janeway paused, and Naxe clarified. "It is not meant to be returned. It is given by those in debt to those which are far supreme. It is the highest honor my race offers, only extended to those which have proved themselves worthy."  
  
The tiny alien smile touched the captain's lips. "Thank-you," was all she said, then left the room. Naxe watched after her, touched beyond words. 


End file.
